The Associations between Helicobacter Pylori immunoglobulin G seropositivity and body mass index in adults

OBJECTIVES: Inconsistent evidence currently exists regarding the associations between Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori) infection and body mass index (BMI). The goal of the current study was to examine independent associations of H. pylori immunoglobulin G (IgG) seropositivity and BMI in a U.S.-based population sample. METHODS: The US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with 2,576 subjects from 1999 to 2000 were analyzed. Using multivariate logistic regression models, associations between H. pylori IgG seropositivity and BMI were calculated after potential confounders were taken into account. Subgroup analyses were conducted furtherly stratified by sex, age, and race. RESULTS: H. pylori IgG seropositivity was not associated with BMI in the general population (OR = 0.998; 95% CI = 0.977–1.019; P = 0.842). In the subgroup analyses stratified by race, a negative correction was found between the H. pylori IgG seropositivity and BMI among other races (OR = 0.873; 95% CI = 0.795–0.959; P = 0.004) except non-Hispanic white (OR = 1.006, 95% CI 0.966 to 1.048, P = 0.762), non-Hispanic black (OR = 1.021, 95% CI 0.979 to 1.065, P = 0.335), and Mexican American (OR = 1.010, 95% CI 0.966 to 1.055, P = 0.665). CONCLUSIONS: In the general population, H. pylori IgG seropositivity is not associated with increased BMI, which provides a new perspective on obesity management.